His Live-in Chef

David Shawn and I have been together for three years now, and the biggest challenge has been his stomach. It's not a matter of fussiness, but true fragility—during college, pulling all-nighters for startup projects left him with chronic gastritis. Even a slightly off-flavored bite will send him curling up on the couch, sweating cold drops. He's famously picky; the moment he opens a takeout box and smells that uniform greasy aroma of mass delivery, he wrinkles his nose and won't touch a bite. Cooking for himself is an even greater disaster. One night, after I worked late, I came home to a kitchen filled with thick smoke. There he was, holding a burnt pot of instant noodles by the stove, flour smeared across his face, looking innocent as he said he tried to make me some egg noodles but ended up burning through the pot. From that moment on, I quietly resolved to find him a personal chef he truly liked. I practically turned the whole city's personal chef agencies upside down, interviewing no fewer than twenty people. There was a retired chef from a starred hotel—his skills were impressive, but his dishes focused too much on plating and ceremony, missing the warmth of home cooking. There was a nanny good at homestyle cooking whose flavors were decent, but she kept forgetting David Shawn's dietary restrictions and ended up adding pepper and peppercorns—both no-go for him—into the dishes several times. And then there were a few young cooks who either, confident in their skills, aimed too high and fell short, or were clumsy and couldn't even keep the kitchen clean. Just as I was about to give up, the agency recommended Chef Lee to me. Chef Lee is in her fifties, with her hair neatly styled and wearing a clean floral apron. She speaks softly and gently, and you can tell right away that she's someone who gets things done efficiently. She pulled out a menu of her signature dishes, all soothing and nourishing for the stomach, from rock sugar and snow pear stewed with fritillaria, to yam and pork rib congee, and steamed sea bass—each dish perfectly tailored to David Shawn's dietary needs. "I used to work in the hospital cafeteria for five years, cooking specifically for patients. I know which ingredients soothe the stomach and which seasonings to avoid," Chef Lee explained with a smile. "Mr. Shawn's condition—Ms. Scott, rest assured, I'll take special care." At the first tasting, Chef Lee prepared four dishes and a soup: Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, Stir-Fried Seasonal Vegetables, Mushroom and Tender Chicken, Tomato Beef Brisket, and a bowl of Winter Melon, Kelp, and Pork Rib Soup. The sweet and sour pork ribs were simmered until tender and falling off the bone, the sauce thick, glossy, and perfectly balanced between sweet and sour—with not a hint of chili. David Shawn unusually ate two extra bowls of rice, repeatedly declaring it the best sweet and sour pork ribs he had ever tasted. I tasted the stir-fried seasonal vegetables—simple oil wheat lettuce, crisp and tender, seasoned only with salt and a touch of light soy sauce, yet naturally fresh; in that moment, I instantly felt at ease. The chicken in the Mushroom and Tender Chicken was cooked so tender that it fell apart at the chopsticks' touch, and the mushrooms soaked up the broth, bursting with savory fragrance in every bite. The Tomato Beef Brisket was tangy and appetizing, the beef brisket stewed until soft and tender, and the sauce was perfect for soaking up rice. The Winter Melon, Kelp, and Pork Rib Soup was even more refreshing; the winter melon stewed to a translucent softness that melted in the mouth, with the rib's rich flavor infused into the broth, without a hint of greasiness. That day after dinner, David Shawn unusually took the initiative to chat with Chef Lee for a bit, reminding her to cook more stomach-friendly dishes in the future. Chef Lee agreed to everything and thoughtfully asked about the frequency and exact location of his usual pain, promising to prepare some targeted medicinal cuisine next time. In the days that followed, Chef Lee came to our home to cook every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Each time, she arrived half an hour early to clean the kitchen before starting to prepare the ingredients.